Tiled With Diamonds
by emmaswans
Summary: He's so handsome, so bloodthirsty, but when it comes to games that don't involve death, he's never been as good as she has. - Cato/Clove, before the Games.


**Disclaimer: consider it disclaimed!**

**Warning: based slightly off the movie, but no real spoilers except maybe the Cato/Glimmer stuff :)**

**Set during the training sessions, before the actual games.**

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><p>It's midnight when Cato returns from training.<p>

Which is odd, because training ended about five hours ago, but Clove decides to not point this out until he notices her standing, ghostly silent, against the doorway connecting their living room and dining room, watching him as he hastily kicks off his shoes. He doesn't even look up, igniting another wave of annoyance inside her. How is it he can spend so much time with her and still never really notice her?

As soon as he tries to sneak to his room, she speaks up. "Little late, aren't you, Cato?"

Watching him freeze up at the sound of her voice is quite entertaining, she has to admit. Slowly, he swivels around and finally sees her standing there. The surprise in his blue eyes is quickly masked by his usual arrogant smirk, but not before she catalogues it away in her mind.

"Clove," he breathes, stepping closer. "Why are you still up?"

She shrugs, all at once relaxing into the innocent little girl whose persona she likes to wear. (It makes people – _Cato_ – underestimate her. And if there's one thing Clove's got, it's a strategy for winning these games.) "Couldn't sleep. Where were you?"

Cato hesitates. "I was just…putting in some extra training," he says, the lie only half as smooth as any of hers have ever been. Clove smiles, a little wistfully. He's so handsome, so bloodthirsty, but when it comes to games that don't involve death, he's never been as good as she has.

"Do you normally train with the girls you plan on killing?" she asks tartly, taking one carefully measured step forward. Her boots click on the diamond-tiled floor. Cato almost trips backward – almost, but at least has the dignity to stop himself.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he hisses at her, finally, after the silence has stretched long enough for him to become uncomfortable. "There was no one else with me – "

"Yeah, right," Clove scoffs. "Cato, you idiot, I've known you since we were three. Did you honestly believe I wouldn't notice how you were flirting with that little blonde princess? Even _Marvel_ noticed, and he's almost more oblivious than you are."

Triumphant in her goal of startling him properly into silence, she folds her arms and waits for him to formulate a reply. And it takes him a while, but he does.

"Why?" he asks slowly, leaning in close enough for her to inhale the vanilla fragrance of Glimmer's perfume scattered all over him combined with his usual woodsy scent. "You're not jealous, are you, Clove?"

She twists her face into a sneer just in time to disguise her startlement. "No!" she says quickly, and then, irritated with herself for the outburst, storms forward and shoves him out of her way. "You're just stupid, Cato. She'll stab you in the back first chance she gets."

There's a grin on his face; she can tell just by his voice as he calls after her, "Still sounds like jealousy to me."

"Shut up!" she snaps, drawing her knife and whirling around. Silver glints under the chandelier lights, aimed at his throat, but she doesn't throw it. Almost does, but stops herself. For all his faults, she cannot kill him, not when he's standing there smiling at her – actually smiling, not just smirking like he usually does.

"Calm down, Clove," he laughs, sauntering towards her. Her breathing is too erratic for her to want him close enough to hear it; she stumbles backwards into the couch, still glowering up at him.

"Get away from me," she snarls at him. Recklessly, he disregards her demand, instead stopping right in front of her and bracing his hands on the back of the couch, his arms framing her tiny body. She wonders if she should feel like prey, given the intensity of his gaze on her, but all she can feel is his breath light on her face and the way it sets her heart beating at triple its normal rate.

"You have nothing to worry about," he assures her, leaning back enough to give her some of her personal space again. "Glimmer's just a girl. We need her on our side, her and Marvel. That's all. Once we're in the arena, all bets are off."

Clove tilts her head. "So…you're saying I should go seduce Marvel?" she asks innocently.

Cato stares at her for just long enough that she can easily slip out of his arms and run away. "You – I – what – _no_!" he splutters, turning around in time to watch her ascend the stairs. "I didn't say that!"

"Well, you obviously think it's a good strategy," she retorts, flashing him her best smirk. "Is it or is it not?"

He stares at her in disbelief for a moment, then rolls his eyes. "You know what? I'm tired. Good _night_, Clove," he huffs, storming over to her and pushing past her to climb up the staircase towards his room.

Clove giggles. "Good night, Cato!" she calls cheerfully. "I'll see you tomorrow in training."

"Whatever," he grunts, disappearing around the corner. Clove smiles, one hand curling around her knife. While she wouldn't dare actually _kill_ a tribute before the Games started, there's nothing stopping her from roughing Glimmer up a little in training tomorrow.

Yes, Clove muses as she walks to her room, training should be fun.

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><p><strong>AN: Please don't favorite without reviewing, thank you! I'd love to know what you thought about this! :)**


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